Google Product Feed (XML) Setup

What Is a Google Product Feed?

A Google product feed presents your store’s product information in a standard XML file that Google can read.

This file contains the essential details of your products in a structured data format. Google Merchant Center visits the feed URL at specified intervals, reads the product information, and updates the Merchant Center catalogue.

IHASHOP automatically generates and maintains a Google Shopping-compatible XML product feed for your store.

Therefore:

You do not need to create an XML file manually.
You do not need to add products to the file one by one.
You do not need to upload an updated file to the server repeatedly.
You do not need to edit price and stock changes manually.

Product information is retrieved automatically from your store data and presented to Google through the feed.

Google Product Feed URL

The Google Shopping XML feed URL for an IHASHOP store generally follows this structure:

https://yourdomain.com/feeds/google-shopping.xml

Replace “yourdomain.com” with your own store domain.

You can also view and copy the feed URL from the following section of the IHASHOP administration panel:

SEO → Product Feeds

When you open the feed URL in a web browser, you will see technical content in XML format. This is normal.

The XML feed is not a storefront page designed for visitors. It is a data file created so Google and other compatible systems can read your product information.

Adding the XML Feed to Google Merchant Center

Follow these steps to add the feed URL generated by IHASHOP to Google Merchant Center:

Sign in to your Google Merchant Center account.
Open the Products section.
Go to the Feeds area.
Create a new product feed.
Select the target country.
Select the content language.
Choose “Scheduled fetch” as the feed method.
Paste the XML feed URL copied from the IHASHOP panel.
Specify how often Google should fetch the feed.
Save the settings.

For most stores, fetching the feed once per day is sufficient.

Stores with frequently changing prices and stock levels may require a more suitable retrieval schedule.

How Does Scheduled Fetch Work?

With the scheduled fetch method, Google Merchant Center visits the IHASHOP XML feed URL at the time and frequency you specify.

During this process, Google:

Detects newly added products.
Retrieves updated product information.
Processes price changes.
Updates stock availability.
Evaluates products that have been removed or are no longer included in the feed.

The time required for changes to appear in Merchant Center depends on how frequently Google checks the feed.

For example, if Google retrieves the feed once per day, a price change made in your store may not appear immediately. It will be processed after the next scheduled fetch.

Difference Between the XML Feed and One-Click API Connection

IHASHOP may provide two different methods for transferring products to Google Merchant Center:

One-click Google Merchant Center connection
Google Shopping XML product feed

Both methods are designed to transfer products to Merchant Center, but they operate differently.

One-Click Connection

With the one-click connection method, products are sent directly to Google Merchant Center.

The main advantages of this method include:

Product changes can be submitted more quickly.
Price and stock updates can be transferred through scheduled tasks.
Product-level submission errors can be displayed in the IHASHOP panel.
Submission status can be monitored from the administration panel.
The Merchant Center connection can be established through a single authorization process.

The one-click connection is the recommended default method for IHASHOP stores.

XML Feed Method

With the XML feed method, Google retrieves product information from the feed URL at specified intervals.

The main characteristics of this method include:

The feed must be added manually in Merchant Center.
Update frequency depends on Google’s retrieval schedule.
Error reports are available only in Google Merchant Center.
It can be used as an alternative when the API connection cannot be established.

Which Method Should Be Preferred?

When the one-click Google Merchant Center connection can be established successfully, it is recommended to use that method first.

The one-click connection:

Provides faster updates.
Offers more detailed product-level error tracking.
Allows submission processes to be managed from the IHASHOP panel.
Does not require manual feed setup in Merchant Center.

The XML feed can be used in the following situations:

The one-click connection cannot be established.
XML feed usage is specifically preferred in the Merchant Center account.
Products are intended to be retrieved through scheduled fetch.
An alternative to the API connection is required.

Should the One-Click Connection and XML Feed Be Used Together?

No.

It is not recommended to send the same products to Google Merchant Center through both the one-click API connection and the XML feed.

When both methods are used at the same time, the same products may reach Merchant Center from two separate data sources.

This may cause:

The same product to appear under multiple sources.
Data source conflicts.
Uncertainty about which product information is valid.
Price and stock discrepancies between sources.
Conflict warnings in Merchant Center.
More complicated troubleshooting.

For this reason, only one product transfer method should be selected.

When the one-click Google Merchant Center connection is active, do not add the XML feed separately in Merchant Center.

When using the XML feed, do not send the same products again through the one-click connection.

What Information Is Included in the Google XML Feed?

The IHASHOP Google Shopping XML feed contains the essential product information required by Google.

The feed may include:

Product title
Product description
Product page URL
Main product image
Product price
Sale price
Stock availability
Brand information
Barcode or GTIN
Manufacturer part number or MPN
Google product category

The standard price and sale price are submitted in separate fields. This allows Google to evaluate the difference between the regular price and the promotional price correctly.

Barcode, Brand, and MPN Information

Google uses product identifiers such as barcodes, brands, and manufacturer part numbers to identify products correctly.

When a product has a genuine barcode, the correct GTIN must be entered.

An invalid or fabricated barcode should never be used. Submitting an incorrect barcode may cause more serious problems than submitting the product without one.

When a product has no barcode, brand, or manufacturer code, IHASHOP can indicate this situation to Google in the appropriate feed format.

This allows the product to be evaluated according to Google’s product identifier rules instead of being silently rejected because of missing information.

Price and Stock Information in the Feed

The XML feed uses the current price and stock information stored in your shop.

When a product’s price or availability is changed in the administration panel, the feed content is generated according to the latest store data.

However, Google must fetch the feed again before it can see the new information.

Therefore, even when the updated information is already visible in the XML feed, Merchant Center may continue to display the old information until the next scheduled fetch.

What Should You Check If the Feed URL Does Not Open?

When the feed URL does not open in a browser, check the following:

Make sure the domain name is written correctly.
Confirm that the URL begins with HTTPS.
Make sure the path at the end of the feed URL is correct.
Check whether your store has published products.
Copy the prepared URL directly from SEO → Product Feeds.
Confirm that website or server security settings are not blocking Google access.

It is recommended to copy the feed URL from the IHASHOP panel instead of typing it manually.

What Should You Check If Merchant Center Cannot Retrieve the Feed?

When Google Merchant Center cannot access the feed during a scheduled fetch, check the following:

Try opening the feed URL in a private browser window.
Confirm that the feed can be accessed publicly without requiring a user login.
Make sure the SSL certificate is valid.
Check the Merchant Center feed URL for missing characters or spaces.
Confirm that domain redirects or firewall rules are not blocking Google.

When the feed opens successfully in a browser but Google cannot retrieve it, review the detailed retrieval error shown in Merchant Center.

Product Feeds for Other Platforms

The SEO → Product Feeds screen may also contain feed URLs for platforms other than Google.

These feeds may be used for:

Price comparison platforms
Meta product catalogues
Advertising and remarketing systems
Product listing services
Other supported third-party platforms

The basic process is similar:

Copy the feed URL created for the relevant platform.
Add the feed URL to the catalogue or data source section of that platform.
Specify the update frequency.
Wait for the platform to process the products.

Each platform may have different field and data requirements. Always use the feed URL created specifically for the relevant platform.

Next Step

After adding the XML feed to Merchant Center, wait for Google to process your products.

When some products are rejected or receive warnings, continue with the “Merchant Center Rejection Reasons and Solutions” article.

This article explains how to resolve common issues involving barcodes, images, shipping, categories, prices, and domain verification.